Some in World Baffled by HRC Characterization
Yesterday's maladroit WP headline "Some in Arab World Wary of Clinton; One Issue: Whether Probable Secretary of State Would Be More Hawk Than Dove," mischaracterizes the Michael Abramowitz piece it adorns. It isn't till the 20th paragraph that a single Arab is quoted, and then it's one Palestinian characterizing other Arabs:
Amjad Atallah, who formerly served as a legal adviser for the Palestinian negotiating team in peace talks with the Israelis, said the prospective Clinton nomination is being watched warily in the Arab world, given her unstinting support for Israel in recent years and hawkish comments on Iran. Some worry that her selection is a possible indicator that Obama may not be as aggressive as Palestinians hope in pushing for a peace deal."Nobody has a negative opinion of Senator Clinton, except maybe that her opinions are closer to the neoconservatives than they might wish," Atallah said.
Maybe this is right; who knows? It's plausible. But it's also plausible that Sen. Clinton in the State Department, "given her unstinting support for Israel in recent years and hawkish comments on Iran," would be in a position to broker deals and enforce them on reluctant Israelis. I'm not saying she will do so--I don't know, nor does anyone else--but I'd like to see more evidence in a newspaper article. If, that is, we still think newspapers distinguish themselves from blogs by their professionalism.
Well-said, Todd.
November 24, 2008 10:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well... some of aren't baffled a bit. It's more than a bit disingenuous to suggest Hillary Clinton will depart a micron from this country's "Israel First" foreign-policy fixation. As the Weekly Standard's Michael Goldfarb wrote last week:
Clinton's nomination, as to the Middle East, means the same old business at the same old stand. This lockstep is dangerous and counterproductive to American interests, but that has never mattered a damn to the domestic Israeli Lobby. Maintenance of the status quo, which obliterates America's ability to be an honest broker in negotiations and intensifies hatred of the U.S. in the Arab world, is amenable only to those satisfied by this fabricated stalemate. And that faction apparently includes you.
November 24, 2008 11:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
How about this scenario - a known Israeli sympathizer - if she's been telling the truth and not just garnering Jewish votes - sent by her boss to negotiate a settlement equitable to Palestinians.
Question posed is how would she be received by hard-right Israelis.
November 24, 2008 1:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
It isn't till the 20th paragraph that a single Arab is quoted, and then it's one Palestinian characterizing other Arabs
Todd doesn't understand that in the Washington Post's world, the people most suitable for commenting on behalf of the Arabs are Jewish American neocons.
November 25, 2008 10:26 AM | Reply | Permalink